Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

appalachiablue

(41,055 posts)
Sat Mar 13, 2021, 11:14 PM Mar 2021

How Bad Was The Trump Administration For Americans' Health? In A Word, Horrible

Daily Kos, March 13, 2021.

In February, 33 medical doctors, lawyers, and academics from various health and policy-related fields in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada released the first major comprehensive report examining the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on this country’s public health policies, and the consequences to Americans’ lives as a result. These commissioners were chosen for their recognized expertise in relevant disciplines (including clinical medicine, epidemiology, public health, community medicine, and nutrition, among others), as well as law and politics. The group, called the Lancet Commission on Public Policy and Health, was also carefully weighted to include substantial representation by women and people of color.



Their report, “Public Policy and Health in the Trump Era,” is the product of four years of research and data accrual and analysis. It has been previously referenced on Daily Kos here and here; however, due to its length and fulsome content (10 separate sections, buttressed by 368 footnotes), it is not easily summarized. Not only are the adverse effects of Trump’s health policies examined and placed in context, but also the harmful social and political repercussions of an administration that plainly sought to distance itself from the global health community through its virulent, xenophobic aims.

The report is more than simply a devastating indictment of the Trump administration, although it certainly succeeds in that respect.

The exacerbation of income inequality and other societal problems in the U.S. that preexisted Trump’s ascent to power, caused in large part by decades of regressive tax policies favoring the wealthy, gross racial disparities in incarceration, education, and housing, and the privatization of employee healthcare and decline of union membership are also explored, since those factors are inextricably tied to the debilitation of Americans’ health, life expectancy, and well-being. Each section within the report includes a historical backdrop to place Trump’s actions in context. Notably, the authors point out that many of these problems—such as increased wealth disparity—provided a fertile breeding ground for someone like Trump in the first place, by heightening Americans’ susceptibility to racist and xenophobic appeals.

Even with this ambitious, all-inclusive scope, the absolutely damning character of the report’s conclusions regarding Trump’s singular impact on the country is stunning enough to deserve broader exposure here and elsewhere. If nothing else, the Lancet report serves as a reminder of just how much damage can be inflicted on this country and its people by a malevolent and thoroughly amoral executive branch. The policies put into place by Donald Trump resulted in tens, if not hundreds of thousands of very real deaths; the authors also stress that the consequences of those polices will continue to harm the country well into the foreseeable future, despite policy reversals that can be implemented by the Biden administration. Probably the most glaring metric showing exactly how toxic and harmful the Trump administration was to this country’s overall health is the regularly updated map depicting the worldwide spread and prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as the COVID-19 dashboard prepared by the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center...

More, https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/3/13/2019720/-How-bad-was-the-Trump-administration-for-Americans-health-In-a-word-horrible




- The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard.

5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
How Bad Was The Trump Administration For Americans' Health? In A Word, Horrible (Original Post) appalachiablue Mar 2021 OP
K&R burrowowl Mar 2021 #1
That spinning thing in your signature PinkTiger Mar 2021 #2
It's a new day, try to overcome appalachiablue Mar 2021 #3
PinkTiger, if you go to the upper right of the page and click on "My Account" Trailrider1951 Mar 2021 #4
I only see two pics in the sig line. A blue bird and a mountain top. Nothing spinning. madinmaryland Mar 2021 #5

PinkTiger

(2,590 posts)
2. That spinning thing in your signature
Sun Mar 14, 2021, 01:58 AM
Mar 2021

Is making me sick, literally.
Is that the purpose?
I mean, I can't look at it without getting sick to my stomach.

Trailrider1951

(3,409 posts)
4. PinkTiger, if you go to the upper right of the page and click on "My Account"
Tue Mar 16, 2021, 04:37 PM
Mar 2021

You can opt to remove all signatures from member's posts. It's the next to last item in the list. I have chosen this because some of the signatures contain items I really do not care for. Hope this helps!

madinmaryland

(64,920 posts)
5. I only see two pics in the sig line. A blue bird and a mountain top. Nothing spinning.
Wed Mar 17, 2021, 02:52 PM
Mar 2021

What am I missing?

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Editorials & Other Articles»How Bad Was The Trump Adm...